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Kittens Colby & Jack Found Alone and Injured

UPDATE 8/17/18: Colby and Jack were adopted today! Here's a photo of them in their new home!

UPDATE 8/17/17: Remember the kittens that were brought to us with severe injuries last month – one with badly broken leg and the other with a tail so infected it had maggots living in it? Thanks to your support, our veterinarians were able to give them the medical treatment they desperately needed and deserved. They amputated Colby’s leg and Jack’s tail and monitored them for weeks as they healed.

We’re happy to say these two have recovered beautifully -- and today they are well enough for adoption!

Their friendship has only gotten stronger, so we've designated them Bonded Buddies so they will be adopted together. Both have huge purrs and love to play and cuddle.

A good Samaritan discovered 4-month-old kittens Colby and Jack alone and badly injured so they rushed them to their local shelter in southwest Iowa. The shelter was unable to help the kittens, so the good Samaritan made the 3-hour round trip to the ARL to make sure they got the care they needed and deserved. Even though we are full (currently over 1,500 animals in our care!), we will never turn away an animal in need.

One look at these kittens and we knew we had to help. They were severely injured and needed immediate care.

Our veterinarians examined each kitten and what they found was horrific. Colby’s back leg was badly broken and had a gaping wound. Jack’s entire tail was limp and had a wound so infected that we found maggots living in it. He also had holes in his neck and above his eye where parasitic botfly larvae had burrowed under his skin.

Both kittens also had severe ear mites and fleas. They were dehydrated and in extreme pain.

Our medical team immediately began administering fluids and pain meds to get the kittens comfortable. Incredibly, despite their horrible conditions, both kittens purred the entire time they were being examined and treated. They knew they were finally safe.

We can only imagine the circumstances that resulted in Colby and Jack’s injuries and the pain they suffered as a result. But what we cannot imagine is what would have happened to these precious kittens had the ARL not been there to help them, when no one else would.

Colby and Jack have a long recovery ahead of them, including likely amputation surgeries for their injured limbs. We need your help today to give Colby and Jack the chance they deserve and to help the ARL continue to help animals in desperate need who have nowhere else to turn.

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The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) is Iowa's largest nonprofit animal shelter, caring for many thousands of pets each year. The ARL serves people and pets from across the state of Iowa through its programs, which include pet adoption, humane education, pet behavior training, spay/neuter, animal cruelty intervention and much more.Learn More About Us